By machinery



Y quired.

.Davinrr MASON, orgDAnLoNngA, GEORGIA.

QTAQTNIFG BY MACHINERY- .;Speeflation,of-LettersfEatentNa 2,868, dated Decem,b er15,v184v2.

`To all wkomc'tmay concer-11,:

:Be itfknownth'at{,IQAvlnH. Mason, of, Dahl-onega, inthe county of Lumpkin and State of Georgia, have invented andinadel certainnew andusefnl Improvements in the Processof Tanning, sothat by my inode ofV operationhides yor skins are' tanned in az shorter ,time than ,by theyV usual methods. The-followingris a' ull and exact descrip;V

Y tionl of my improvements.

As ameansby which my improvements 4are carried: into 'operatiomluse a mill whichy is in some respects Qf'a new construction, whichlhave devised ifortlie purpose. This mill is `of the -kind, commonly called the swinging stocks. The following descrip- -tion ofthe mill shows uwhereinfit digtl'ers A'from those-ordinarily used.

Theqletters refer tothe drawings, which form a part ofthisspeciflcation.

floor boards, composing the bottom of the mill. YJ, J, two narrow floor boards, that may be taken out, and replaced when re- K, K, the dotted lines, show the shafts of the stocks extended through and below the bottom of the mill, to which the connecting rods were attached at L, L, according to the old arrangement, consequently an opening was left in the bottom of the mill, to give room for the motion of the shafts.

This mill differs from those previously constructed, in its being actuated by a rocking or tumble shaft, instead ofv a double crank, and the connecting rods are attached to the shafts of the swinging stocks, aboveV the stocks, instead of attaching them below the stocks under the mill, as was the former practice. This arrangement enables me to make an entire flooring under the stocks, and consequently to make the mill water tight, which is a peculiar difference from those previously constructed, and is an essential feature in the means by which my improvements in tanning are carried into practice. A cover is used over the body of the mill to prevent any liquid from` being dashed out by the action of the stocks. The flooring or bottom of this mill is so constructed that two narrow strips can be taken ll out when. the mill is requiredftofbe worked `ivi thout any1 liquid,A as vthe,- case Vin dressing Ifurs and "glove fleather; and the narrow strips can'fbe replaced when required.'

hole isfboredvinone side ofthe mill, and a plug'fitted to it; through thisholeany liquid maybe run out of the mill when required, andfby suitable pipes or conductors,

'a stream of water or`any liquid may be made to flow continually through'the, mill.

The kind of, mill commonly'denolminated fthe falling.stocks,-fby a similar arrangement to .the above, could be made water tight, and thus modified, would le' suitable lt1o"cs tr ry'into practicethe severa parts of ,my improvements. l f A machine, similar to theordinary d ash wheel, consisting of a hollowv cylinder "or drum, constructed so as to turn on. gudgeons,

having partitions ,on the inside and running lengthwise thecylinder, :fitted with a ,marn- 'hol'e and cover, and made water tight, or any other mechanical deviceoperating by peundns, Stempliaisoieezing Oripes'sing producing an eifectlike thatfof theystocls, 'sothat the-hides or skins can be alternately forced together, and again expand, while they are in and surrounded with tanning liquor, would be suitable to carry out the operations of my improvements, which does not consist so much in the peculiar construcl tion of the machine as in the process of beating the skins.

My firstdmprovement in the process consists in the manner of taking the lime out' `of hides or skins, which is eiected as follows.' After the hides or skins have been hmed, the hair taken olf, and rinsed in water, they are then put into the mill with clean water, or a stream of water is made 1 to run among the hides yor skins and through the mill, when by the action of the stocks, a part of the lime is forced out, and unites with the water, again the water is partly forced in and partly absorbed by the hides or skins, and again forced 'out with more lime, and so on alternately, till the hides or skins are completely cleansed from the lime.

Another method which I consider prefer# abley in removing the lime, is to work the hides or skins in the mill with sour tannin liquor; by the action of the stocks, the lime is forced out, and the acid and lime unite with facility, so that in a short time the hides or skins are cleansed from the lime.

These processes are attended With far less danger to the hides or skins than by the ordinary mode, with braneliquor, or the grainer made of hens or do-gs dung. Pyroligneous acid, or vinegar, or any of the acids which form a soluble salt With lime Will answer the purpose, provided they are sutticient-ly diluted With water.

My second improvement consists in Working hides or skins in the mill With tanningV liquor. By the action of the stocks the tanning liquor is partly forced in, and partly forced out, and partly forced through, and partly absorbed by the hides or skins, and so on continually, so that the tanning liquor is brought into contact with the fiber of the hides or skins, and a union is thereby facilitated, and the operation of tanning is performed in a sho-rter time than by the usual methodsl Ordinarily I use a Weak liquor in the first part ofthe operation, and proceed Vwith stronger liquor from time to time, increasing in the strength till the tanning is completed. But sometimes I use a strong liquor through the Whole operation, and sometimes I Work the hides or skins in the mill With tanning liquor a short time, and then lay them away in vats, and again Work them in the mill, and so on alternately till the tanning is completed. Again, I Work the hides or skins in the mill With a solution of common salt, or With a solution of alum, or with a solution of salt and alum combined, and sometimes after the hides have been Worked in salt or alum, I Work them in the mill With tanning liquor, and thus I combine the process of tanning and alum dressing by the operation of the mill,

by which means either of these operations substance from which tannin is ordinarily Y extracted.

lVhat I claim as my improvements, and'V desire to secure by a patent, consist,

l. In the employmentof a mill as above described, Whether made like the swinging stocks, or in any other form in `Which its action upon the skin is substantially the same, for the purpose of tanning, and other- Wise operating upon 'skins in the process of tanning.

2. And the forcibly Working hides or skins in the mill denominated the swinging i., i

stocks, or other suitable machine with tanning liquor, or Working them partly in the mill, and partly in vats, or Working hidesV or skins partly in the mill With salts, and

partly With tanning liquor, as has been set o forth and described in the foregoing specification. Y

DAVID MASON.

lVitnesses:

W. H. STANSELL, JOHN D. FIELE, Jr. 

